Steven Yeun has confirmed his departure from the upcoming Marvel movie “Thunderbolts.”
What he’s saying: In an interview with Variety, Yeun, 40, clarified that his exit was not due to creative differences, but scheduling conflicts and delays caused by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it,” he told the outlet. “But [director] Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job. It took a lot of drafts on email to make sure that I conveyed the sincerity of how sorry I was to have to back out.”
Potential recasting: His involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was reported in February last year, but Marvel never officially confirmed his casting. Yeun was said to be portraying Sentry, the villain of the film.
The status of the character remains uncertain, with questions arising about potential recasting and maintaining the original plot. The studio is expected to keep details about the recasting under wraps, but more information may emerge during the movie’s production.
Yeun’s hopes: Despite leaving “Thunderbolts,” Yeun expressed his hopes for future MCU involvement.
“I wanna do a Marvel movie,” he told Variety. “I have some ideas. But I heard if you put it out there, you’ll never get it, so I’ll keep it close to my chest.”
Thunderbolts production: “Thunderbolts” is directed by Schreier, while the script is written by Lee Sung Jin, the creator of “Beef,” based on an initial draft by “Black Widow” screenwriter Eric Pearson. Its production was paused in May due to the WGA strike and has yet to resume. Its release has been set for 2025.
